


7/11

by sadsaturn



Category: IT - Stephen King, Reddie - Fandom
Genre: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Reddie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-21 04:04:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21293351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadsaturn/pseuds/sadsaturn
Summary: Richie must leave Derry and all of his friends, including the one he's in love with, behind.What happens a year later when he returns?
Relationships: Reddie - Relationship
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> -I really don't expect anyone to read this but hello.  
maybe let me know if i should continue?

————

richie’s pov:

i parked my piece of shit car, rummaging through the cup holder to get a few dollars together, stepping out and walking into the gas station.

i went straight for the slushies, grabbing a cup and filling it up with half cherry, half coke flavor.

before I could make my way to pay, i glanced over, hearing someone else come in, and froze.

what the fuck.

i readjusted my glasses, squinting and trying to make sure i was seeing things right.

The boy grabbed a cup and i watched from a little bit away as he filled it, all blue raspberry flavored to the top.

I couldn’t take my gaze off as he walked to the register, quickly nodding my head and catching up to him.

Eddies pov

“That’ll be $1.29.”

i reached into my pocket to get my wallet out when someone stepped beside me, placing three dollars onto the counter, his own slushy in his hand.

“I’ve got it.”

I looked up to meet eyes with the person and immediately choked on my words.

what the fuck.

“r-richie..?”

“hey eds.” He smiled softly , walking back towards the doors, holding it open for me.

I didn’t know how to feel. More importantly, i didn’t know how HE felt. The last time we talked..well that was awhile ago.

Almost a year.

And i still thought about it all the time.

Summer before our junior year, all the losers still together, closer than ever.

The location of the night being bill’s house, his parents were away for the weekend.

We were all hanging out, sitting and talking with some shitty movie in the background.

I still can feel richie’s hand casually around my shoulders before he straightened himself up and got onto his feet, walking over to the kitchen to grab another beer.

I could never understand how people drank beer and genuinely enjoyed the bitter taste.

“so.. i’ve got some news.” he said, flipping the bottle open.

we all looked over at him, hearing the somewhat serious tone. Which was rare coming from richie.

“Well..? Spit it out.” Stan said impatiently.

“My parents are leaving to Albaline.” He said, avoiding eye contact with anyone and sitting back down onto the floor next to me.

Bev looked confused and spoke up.

“They do that almost every other weekend, for that business shit. So what?”

She was right, richie spent a lot of weekends out since his parents would be gone, staying with one of us or inviting us all over to his place to hang around or drink sometimes.

Well let me rephrase that,everyone else would drink sometimes, and i would just be there with nothing better to do.

It didn’t matter though, it was always a good time with them.

I looked over at him now quietly as he let out a small nervous laugh and looked onto the floor.

“Yeah well this time it’s not just another weekend. They want me to go with them. Permanently.”

I felt my heart drop as he continued.

“Their business over there seems to be growing a fuck ton apparently and they said it’d be easier to just move out there.”

Silence filled the room to the point where I felt like I was suffocating.

“When?” I asked, surprised that my tight felt throat was even able to speak.

“Tomorrow.. I didn’t wanna tell you guys sooner because I didn’t want it to be wierd or you guys be fucking sad or anything these few last days that we got.” He shrugged, looking down at his shoes.

More silence.

“Well we better make this one hell of a night then.” Mike said, bringing out the full case of from the kitchen.

It felt less like for a good time now and more like everyone just wanted to numb some of it out with the news that was just given.

Even I was tempted to reach across and force some of the alcohol down, to feel a little less.

The rest of the night was a blur to me except our last interaction.

I was sat outside, trying to get some air and just breathe when I heard the backdoor open, seeing a slightly drunk richie coming my way, bottle in hand. Even though they had all been trying to have a decent time i knew he wasn’t fully drunk, he rarely ever got to that point, the after affect never being worth it as he would say.

“I’ll miss you the most, Eddie spaghetti .” He said kissing my cheek as his long legs adjusted themselves so he was next to me. Usually I’d make some snarky remark and wipe away at the spot where his lips touched, but i said nothing about it that time.

I reached down and traced the rip on his knee from his black jeans.

“Do you have to go..? Like there’s no other choice or option? You stay over at bev’s a lot and I know she’d let you stay with her or even with me. I can somehow let you stay with me and just not tell my mom, she never comes into my room much anyways!” I said rambling on, thinking of any solution possible.

“You’re cute, eds.” He laughed. “It would be hot to live with your mom though. I’d be hitting that every damn night.”

“fuck off richie, I’m not trying to be funny. I’m serious, you don’t have to go. there’s other ways.”

His face got serious as he looked directly at me, our faces close enough where I could smell the alcohol from his breathe and see his small details that I grew to adore.

His small, spread out freckles, his hollow cheekbones, his long eyelashes connecting with his pretty brown eyes reflecting from his glasses.

“you don’t want me to go?” he asked quietly.

“Of course not. I want you to stay. Here.

I’ll help you work something out.”

I pleaded. I couldn’t have him leave. It tore me a part even just the thought.

I felt him reach for my cheek lightly, never breaking eye contact with me as he got even closer than before.

I knew where he was going with this, he had tried before. And as much as I wanted to close the space finally, I reached away as soon as I felt his lips brush against mine.

“Don’t do that, richie.”

“Oh my god.” He scoffed.

“Eddie, i know you feel something too. You can’t fucking deny that, I don’t get why you continue too.”

I sat lost for words again. I did know about his feelings for a long time now. He was never subtle about it, so it wasn’t hard to tell. Even the others knew. The thing that was newer to me was accepting the fact that I had those feelings too. A part of me still not wanting to accept it. I grew up with the idea that it was wrong, and anyone knew that people here in derry weren’t very accepting with it either.

He placed his hand onto my cheek again, making me look straight at him.

“tell me. tell me to my face you don’t feel anything with us.”

I admired his eyes and the way he looked into me, inching closer when I said nothing. My head screamed with desire to close the space.

But then I realized what was about to happen again and I still just couldn’t do it. I moved my head and pulled away, looking the opposite direction.

“I can’t. I’m sorry, I just- I don’t. but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay-“

“You don’t what?” Richie asked cutting me off, still keeping his face close, his cheek almost bumping into mine.

“Finish that sentence, eddie.” He pushed on still not getting a response from me.

“You don’t what, huh?” He asked again, frustrated, but I could also sense a small smugness manner to his voice.

“I dont feel anything like that with you.” i spit out, wanting him to back off me and just let it go for now.

instant regret flooded in as i glanced back at him and saw the hurt in his eyes.

i’ve seen richie upset before. im always the person he goes too, always the person he cries on when shit goes wrong. but i’ll never forget how he looked at me in that moment.

he looked broken.

That quickly changed as he snapped out of the gaze and coughed, regaining himself and masking everything in. He chugged down the rest of his drink and then let the bottle fall from his grip, not caring where it fell,

wiping his mouth slightly with his sleeve and pushing his glasses up.

“i gotta go.” He said as he walked back into the house.

I couldn’t find the strength to get up so I stayed there for awhile,sitting and letting a few tears flow down my cheek.

Why couldn’t I just tell him how I felt. Why couldn’t I just be okay with it and go for what I wanted, which for awhile has been the same thing. Richie.

He wasn’t even gone yet and the aching already began.

Maybe i just needed more time, or maybe it was more complicated than that.

Either way, I had to convince him to stay.

i really can’t have him go.

I quickly got to my feet and rushed back into the house, wiping the tears away.

I looked around, not seeing him anywhere.

“Mike, where’s richie.”

He stopped what he was doing and looked over at me, confusion written on his face.

“Oh.. he left, man. He came back in to say goodbye and then had to go. He didn’t say bye to you?”

And now it was my turn to break.

I felt panicked and all the weight of everything crash into me, a long with the sharp pain of it all.

A part of me felt missing already.

It sounds pretty stupid but he was...well i don’t what he was. He wasn’t just a best friend to me. But he wasn’t more either.

he was my person.

and the feeling of having that person that you connect with so much all of a sudden be cut from your life, leaving you lost, it’s one of the most painful things.

Mike seemed to notice and put a hand on my shoulder.

“He said he’ll visit all the time, almost as if he’s not even gone. he’ll visit, I know he will.”

he never did.

i never saw him after that.

Well, until now, standing against his car, slushy in hand. Same tall, lanky figure. Same mop of messy hair curling at the tips. Same glasses covering his eyes, except now they seemed to be a bit crooked.

He stared into me but looked away when i looked back, seeming nervous.

nervousness looked odd on richie, him usually being the confident, cocky type of boy.

He coughed and tried regaining his composure, opening the car door.

“Wanna catch up a bit?” He asked motioning for me to get in.

I stayed hesitant.

I probably shouldn’t. A part of me didn’t even want too.

But I can’t say no either, not when he could just take off again and I’ll be stuck here regretting it.

“yeah..okay. I can’t be out for too late though. I gotta be home by -

“11:00. curfew.” Richie said, finishing my sentence.

i nodded over at him, walking over to the other side of the car.

I hesitated before reaching towards the passenger door.

maybe this isn’t a good idea, maybe this will just open up hurt feelings and bring up the past , I don’t know. 

But what I do know is that he’s been gone quite awhile, and i’ve missed him.

i opened the car door, taking in the air freshener smell, the AC on blast, a few wrappers and empty cups littered throughout.

and the boy across from me seated on the other side , curls a bit out of place, one string of his hoodie drawn out longer than the other , a small red stain already marked on the front from his slushy.

i’ve missed him so much.


	2. why are you back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> feelings unresolved, questions needing answers.

Richies POV

i looked down and fidgeted with a loose string from the rip on my jeans. i usually always know what to say and when I don’t, i start saying things anyways, but for once i was blank.   
i mean, what was i supposed to say?   
hey eddie! haven’t seen you since last year when you basically rejected me again and i left everything behind and couldn’t bring myself to come back but what’s up, pal!

i glanced over next to me watching as eddie grabbed his cup and drank quietly from his slushy.  
he seems different than when i left.

“you should really consider cleaning your car out more often.” eddie said, pulling out a wrapper from beneath him.

i couldn’t help but break into a smile at that. never mind. same old eds. 

i pulled up my glasses and grabbed his cup, taking a sip and handing him mine.

“Richie , what the fuck” eddie protested, reaching back for his.

i leaned back and tilted my head in his direction.

“yours is too plain, try mine, way better.” i nodded, watching as he rolled his eyes, smiling a bit and taking a sip from my cup.

he made a face at me.

“gross, how can you drink this? it’s got way too much going on, all the flavors mix wierd. i’ll take ‘plain’ over this any day.” 

i laughed and reached out switching our drinks back, messing with the straw as it got silent again.

“why are you back.”  
eddie asked , breaking the silence.

“damn eds, not happy to see me?”  
i replied with a pout, acting hurt.

“yea- i mean- just answer the question, richie.”

i could tell he was getting slightly annoyed.

i sighed.

i guess we will be getting into things tonight.

Eddies POV:

“so..? what brought you back?” i asked again, waiting for an answer. 

“my parents wanted to come back for the summer. we came out last week.”

“oh.”

i felt my heart drop and buried my fists into the seat. of course, i didn’t think he came back for me. that was stupid to even consider.   
except that a part of me did.  
and he’s been here for a whole week, and hasn’t even reached out. if we hadn’t ran into each other would he even have bothered?   
i know we left things on bad terms but what about everything else? we’d been best friends since middle school, us and the rest of the losers. has he even reached out to them? 

“you haven’t seen the others?” I asked.

He leaned back enough to put one of his feet against the dashboard. 

“i’ve seen bev. we’ve kept in touch, weekly calls and shit.” he shrugged.  
“-it was nice to see her in person though. you don’t always realize how much you miss someone until you’re with them again.” he said looking over at me, holding his gaze.

was he saying he missed me?

i couldn’t even ponder the question or feel relieved at the idea of him missing me because suddenly it all over took me.  
i was mad.   
he’s seen bev already. he went to see her first. and weekly calls? he couldn’t even answer a single one of my texts when i gave in and tried to reach out but she was getting weekly calls?  
he clearly didn’t want anything to do with me. 

“eddie? you alright?” 

richie asked , snapping my attention back to him.

“i need to go.” i opened the car door and stepped out.

“Eddie, what the fu-“

i slammed the door and started quickly walking away,the wind hitting me directly sending shivers across my whole body. i should’ve listened to my mom when she told me to take a jacket.

i heard the car start up and waited for the noise to follow the opposite direction, instead seeing the car pull up next to me. i didn’t stop walking.

richie pulled down the window.

“eddie it’s fucking freezing, cmon get back in.”

i looked forward and continued walking.

“you’re gonna catch a cold if you walk home in this wind. you’ll be full of snot and germs. and it’s late, you know it’s not smart to walk out in derry alone at this time.”

i continued ignoring his remarks and kept walking until i reached the end of the parking lot where he couldn’t follow me anymore.   
i heard the car stop.

“eddie, EDDIE. stop. please.” i finally turned around.  
“just get back in the car, yea? i’ll drive you straight home.” 

i could feel my hands going numb from the cold.

i sighed and rolled my eyes, walking back towards him and getting into the passenger side again. 

he started up the car again and started driving, a mixture of heat and silence filling up the air once again.

“to the left here.” i spoke up.

“i know how to get to your house, eds.” he said smiling lightly. 

“really? wouldn’t have thought so considering you haven’t gone that way once since you’ve been back.” i replied. 

i watched his face go straight, his eyes looked guilty.   
good, i thought. he should be. 

he casually reached over to the radio trying to clear the tension out a bit, but it only made me more mad. i couldn’t take it anymore.

“why? why keep in touch with everyone else but me, huh? even when i threw my pride away and tried reaching out to you. not a single reply. meanwhile you’re out here calling up the rest?”

“i didn’t call anyone else up really, just bev.”

i scoffed. as if that makes it any better.

“look eddie, here’s the deal. you know how i felt about you. and remember the way we left things?”

“yah.” of course i did. 

“well that sucked , okay? i wanted a fresh start and i needed to move forward and focus on shit around me. i got caught up in other stuff in Albaline, but trust me it sucked being away.”

“well,you’re the one who chose to leave.”   
i said almost choking out. it hurt really bad, i’d spend a lot of nights crying until i fell asleep. but somehow, with richie right next to me again, it felt like a fresh, open wound and hurt all over again. it’s not just that he left. he left me. he left me behind. completely. not looking back.

He slowed down and parked on the curb into my neighborhood in front of a random house.

“Eds , i had to go. you know that.”he sighed, looking over.

i avoided looking directly at him. 

i got enough courage to ask him something i’ve asked myself a million times since that day.

“would you have left if that night went differently?”

he seemed caught off guard and struggled answering.

“i- i don’t know, i mean,” he stuck his hands into the pocket of his hoodie.“-look, can’t we just let it go? i’m here now aren’t i? can’t we just be glad for that?”   
he seemed nervous asking me that, as if maybe i wasn’t glad at all for him being here.

but i was. 

there were still a lot of unresolved feelings getting brought back up to the surface and so many questions and i was still hurt, yea, but in that moment i could tell it hurt him too. 

i watched as he re-adjusted his glasses for the hundredth time. 

“i missed you, richie.” 

he smiled warmly and breathed out, reaching out to shove my arm lightly. 

“i missed you too, eddie..cmon, let me buy you some food, on me.”

he started the car and i looked over at the clock. shit.

“it’s 11:13 , i gotta get home.”

“aw cmon, you’re already late anyways, what’s another hour?”

“a few minutes late is probably being grounded, another hour ? death. you know how Sonia is.”

“oh baby, i definitely know how she is if you know what i mean.” 

“shut up, richie. take me home.”

“alright, alright, i’m goin.” 

he pulled up in front of my house and i got my shit together, stepping out.

i leaned back over to get a good look at him.

“i’ll see you later?” i asked, somewhat afraid of him taking off again, or deciding maybe this had been a bad idea.

“of course, eds. “ he smiled softly and did a little wave as i closed the door, walking quickly in the direction of my house.

“wait! eddie!” 

“yeah?” i looked back over at him.

“give your mom a big ol' kiss for me!"

i rolled my eyes, not being able to help let out a small laugh as i ran back into the house to get away from the cold, already wanting to see him again.


End file.
